How to Landscape With Bushes Against a Building

This house has a very manicured and formal foundation planting.

Against a building, bushes can create an elegant, structured look or a natural, whimsical look that becomes the background for the rest of your landscaping. Whether you are using shrubs that you intend to shear and keep square or those that have a more naturalized appearance, you need to take a few precautions when planting. Mature size, root system and height all come into play when you are designing your shrub bed. Distance from the building must also be considered, to prevent access for pests and various other problems.

1

Measure the length of the outside wall where you plan on putting the shrubs. You need this measurement to determine how many bushes the space can accommodate.

2

Measure the height from the ground of any windows or architectural details that you don't want covered by the bushes at their mature height. While some bushes take well to trimming and shearing, others do not do as well when their height is controlled in this manner. For these locations on your building, you must either choose bushes that won't grow past that height or bushes that you can easily keep trimmed to below the window or exterior detail.

3

Design your landscape with aesthetics in mind. For example, choose an accent shrub such as a topiary, or a shrub with interesting foliage or bright blooms to place near any entrance along the planting wall. Choose bushes and shrubs that complement the surrounding landscape or color of the building for the main planting, and mark the corners with small trees or accent shrubs that connect with the surrounding yard or landscape.

4

Plant the shrubs at least 5 feet away from the foundation, particularly in humid areas. They should also be planted far enough away that they remain at least 3 feet away from the walls at maturity. Watering these plants can create too much moisture that might negatively affect your structure instead of adding to it. Being too close can also allow various pests access to the walls and foundation as well as create moisture problems.

5

Plant the shrubs at the recommended distance apart. Planting too closely can lead to problems as the shrubs grow, including fungal disease, crowding and growing out of control. To help ease this burden, purchase larger plants in bigger pots at the time of planting as opposed to several smaller plants.

6

Add shorter accent plants in front of the bushes to create a more aesthetically pleasing landscape. Choose accent plants that complement the colors and textures of your foundation shrubs.